Periodic Reporting for period 3 - POWERSKIN PLUS (Highly advanced modular integration of insulation, energising and storage systems for non-residential buildings)
Berichtszeitraum: 2022-04-01 bis 2024-03-31
Non-residential buildings consume significantly more energy than residential ones, with an average of 280kWh/m² - 40% greater than the residential sector. This highlights the pressing need for more efficient solutions in the non-residential segment. Current curtain wall facade systems face challenges like insufficient thermal inertia, limited modularity, and excessive transparency. The POWERSKINS PLUS (PS+) project aimed to provide efficient and sustainable answers to these issues, focusing on modular curtain walls for non-residential buildings that can also be applied to other building types. The overarching goal of PS+ was to deliver high contributions to energy efficiency and CO2 emission reduction by creating an affordable renovation solution to transform existing non-residential buildings into near-zero or plus-energy buildings. Over a challenging 4-year program, PS+ developed and scaled various eco-innovative, cost-effective, and advanced solutions to renovate multi-storey facade systems. Starting from standard IGUs and VIP superinsulation panels, the project prototyped and tested (TRL7) prefabricated premium transparent and opaque facade modules capable of meeting diverse building requirements and stringent energy-saving demands. The innovative add-on solutions include microfluidic and phase change heat storage, multifunctional nano-enabled coatings, and breakthrough flexible semi-transparent and opaque perovskite-based BiPV technology. To maximize the renewable energy potential, PS+ also developed a large-capacity building battery electrical storage system (BESS) for net-zero building performance or substantial energy savings. The comprehensive PS+ portfolio of prefabricated, easy-to-install modules has been prototyped for full-size demonstration, aiming for high adaptability to standard commercial framing solutions. This is expected to boost the energy-efficient construction market in Europe in the coming years, with sustainable eco-designed connecting framings to form a complete PS+ facade system. The project followed five primary objectives: developing lightweight and integrated facade systems, improving insulation, introducing on-site energy generation, enhancing energy storage, and providing affordable high-performance facade solutions without significant cost increases compared to the ordinary aggregation of multiple and not always compatible different-source components.
The PS+ project achieved significant outcomes over 54 months, developing and testing novel pre-fabricated standard and premium transparent (TM) and opaque (OM) facade modules capable of meeting diverse building requirements and stringent energy-saving demands. The standard TM features a triple glazing and argon-filled IGU with improved thermal performance, while the OM utilizes superinsulation VIP with various core systems, exceeding the most demanding thermal efficiency regulations. The premium PS+ solutions focus on integrating on-site renewable thermal and electrical harvesting and storage. Significant advancements were made in opaque and semi-transparent ink-jet perovskite BIPV technology, enabling high power conversion efficiencies of up to 11.5% and 9.49%, respectively, in a lightweight design for seamless architectural integration. The project developed integrated thermal energy storage solutions for both opaque and transparent modules. The opaque module uses a PCM add-on system that can be tailored to different locations and climates, helping decrease dynamic thermal transmittance. The transparent zone solution is a patented thin and transparent large-area microfluidic capillary glass unit that can be linked to a heat pump and ventilation system for improved thermal storage. Complementary multifunctional coatings were designed and trialed for the modules, allowing up to a 15% increase in PV solar cell performance. A new dedicated PS+ framing system was conceptualized and prototyped using pultruded GRP and 100% recycled/bio-based materials, targeting a complete facade system. Module pricing estimates range from €165/m² to €809.69/m² depending on the premium features. A proprietary PS+ modular recycled Li-ion cell-based BESS system was developed, offering scalability, versatility, and grid connectivity for up to 48% energy savings. The project outcomes have been disseminated through various channels, with partners focusing on direct sales and license agreements to maximize the program's impact.
With a comprehensive and holistic approach, the PS+ project has prototyped and demonstrated superior solutions for insulation, energy harvesting, and storage in single, hybrid, and multipurpose facade modules. Building on previous research and innovation actions, the project advanced from TRL5 to TRL7, achieving concrete and ambitious technical goals. The key innovations developed by PS+ include: prefabricated transparent (TM) and opaque (OM) facade modules incorporating superinsulation (IGUs and VIP with novel sustainable core systems), framing solutions based on bio-based and recycled materials, breakthrough flexible perovskite facade BIPV technology, multifunctional nano-enabled coatings, active thermal storage solutions using phase change materials (PCMs) and large-area microfluidic capillary glass units and surplus renewable energy storage systems based on reused Li-ion batteries from electric vehicles. Many of these outcomes were at the applied research stage and have benefited from the program to reach higher TRLs through demonstration and validation in a relevant environment (TRL6-7). Further fine-tuning and certification will bring these innovations closer to the market. Considering a realistic 1-3% market share, PS+ could be involved in a €4-5 billion market in the first years after commercial deployment. The global curtain wall market that PS+ targets is projected to reach USD 153.12 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 9%, driven mainly by the commercial segment. The European building renovation market is also expected to grow, reaching up to US$1012.47 billion in 2026, with the potential to create 18 jobs per €1 million invested.PS+ technologies are intended to play a crucial role in helping the EU building stock meet the demanding climate action and carbon neutrality obligations, creating a safer and more sustainable built environment by 2050. Life cycle assessments reveal significant embodied energy and carbon savings with PS+ standard and premium modules compared to conventional curtain wall systems. Overall, the PS+ holistic solution capitalizes on superinsulation, renewable energy harvesting, and advanced storage technologies, drastically reducing building energy demand and dependency on unstable energy markets. This is expected to improve indoor comfort, quality of living, and financial returns, while contributing to job creation and the economic growth opportunity in the EU's building renovation sector.